The Circle of Friends

III - Wedding Surprise-2

The group began to disperse around nine-thirty. Matt was visibly relieved when Heather arose. All night he had struggled not to say something ugly to his childhood friend. Even Jason sighed when she departed.

Sarah walked out with Matt, waving goodbye to Lori and her parents. He leaned against his car, nodding at Jason as his friend pulled out of the parking lot. Sarah crossed her arms and looked up at him.

“You gonna live?” she said, smiling to take the edge off her words.

Matt sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I’ll survive. Thought I was gonna have to kill Heather, though!”

“She was feeling a little aggressive, wasn’t she?” quipped Sarah.

“Yes, she was,” agreed Matt, giving her a smile. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for taking it easy on me tonight.”

“I was tempted. But you looked like you’d punished yourself enough already.”

Nodding, he pulled her against his body. Sarah wrapped her arms around Matt’s neck, giving him a much-appreciated hug. She felt his hands press against her back, holding her gently. Matt rested his chin gingerly on her shoulder and sighed in her ear.

“You should go home and get some sleep,” she said softly, quite familiar with hangovers.

“Uh-huh,” he murmured, holding her tighter. “Can you come sleep with me?”

“Would it help any?” Sarah said, amused by his request.

“Oh, eventually,” said Matt.

Sarah chuckled. His eyes still closed, Matt bent to kiss her neck. As his lips brushed against her skin, he discovered an incredibly ticklish spot.

“Matt!” she said, pulling away from him.

He laughed, still holding fast but not pursuing the issue. “Guess I’ll have to take advantage of that when I feel better.”

Sarah was able to coax him into his car. He waited until she had started her own vehicle and pulled out of the parking lot before departing for home and some much needed sleep. Matt now had another reason to look his best tomorrow.

Maria retrieved Sarah on Friday afternoon to get their hair styled. She had been dreading this moment all week. Once they arrived at the beauty salon, she protested yet again, but the other bridesmaids would not allow her to escape.

“It’s too short to do anything with,” complained Sarah as they forced her into a chair.

“Yours is too short?” exclaimed Cindy, running her fingers through her short, spiky blonde hair.

“Sarah, just suck it up and do it for Lori,” Heather chastised.

She glanced at her best friend, seated in the chair beside her. The beautician had already begun working on her long tresses. It would take hours to curl all that hair. Lori just smiled and Sarah settled into the chair.

“Gonna look like a dork,” she mumbled.

The experience was not as awful as she had imagined. It still looked like her hair, only with added curl and body. The most drastic change was in Maria. Her long, fluffy black hair was done up in the tightest curls.

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen your hair like that,” Sarah teased on their way to the church.

Maria rolled her eyes. “Well, I was with you. I didn’t want to do it, either.”

“You look totally different,” said Sarah with a chuckle. “It fits, though, ‘cus you’re a different person now, too.”

Maria glanced at Sarah, her brown eyes wide in disbelief. “Am I?”

“Sure! You’re bolder. College must have given you some confidence.”

“You’re different, too,” said Maria as she pulled into the church parking lot and parked beside Heather’s car. “You’re nicer.”

“What was I before?” said Sarah.

Turning off her engine, Maria set the parking brake and gave her friend a grin. “Difficult!” she chirped.

Sarah snorted and climbed out of the car. Difficult, indeed, she thought Maria was probably right, though. After watching Heather annoy Matt last night, Sarah knew she didn’t want to be quite that difficult.

They dressed and put on their makeup in one of the classrooms. Sarah assisted Lori with her dress and it took ten minutes to fasten all the latticework in the back. As she attached the train, Sarah glanced at her friend’s reflection in the full-length mirror. Lori’s image was one of total perfection, as regal as royalty. The princess was about to marry her prince. Sarah could see the elation in her friend’s eyes. Burying any stray envious thought, Sarah decided she was happy for Lori, even when her friend began crying just before they walked out of the room.

She and Maria carried Lori’s train as they walked down the hallway to the foyer. When the coordinator signaled them to stop, they laid out the bride’s dress behind her and took their positions in line. Sarah adjusted the shoulder on her dress one more time, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and stood up straight, holding her flowers tight. She was still unsure about the high heels, though. If they bothered her too much, she’d discard them when they reached the reception.

The coordinator beckoned the men to join their counterparts. Sarah watched as they approached the girls. Her eyes fell on Matt and she smiled, her face glowing with admiration. He looked handsome in his tuxedo. She was glad Lori had discarded with tradition and asked the couples to walk in together. Matt grinned at Sarah, his eyes alive with desire, and she was delighted her appearance pleased him. Glancing behind them, Matt’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he viewed the bride for the first time. Sarah sighed and grabbed his arm and Matt’s attention returned to his partner.

Shaking her head, Sarah whispered in his ear. “Yes, she’s beyond beautiful. Let’s just hope the little princess doesn’t start crying again.”

Matt grinned and covered her hand. “You look like a princess, too, Sarah.”

She saw the twinkle in his eye and concluded he was being sincere.

Once the ceremony began, Sarah found her attention divided. She tried to focus on Lori, afraid she’d miss her cues. However, her gaze kept wandering to Matt. To her surprise, he appeared to be watching her, too.

Sarah felt relieved when she was able to walk down the aisle with Matt. They reached the foyer and found the bride and groom embracing, entranced with one another.

“You’ve got time for that later,” Sarah hissed.

Lori and Jason separated, giving one another a final loving glance before turning to face the wedding party. Lori’s eyes were bright and Sarah gave her a smile of reassurance. She hugged her best friend, eager to feed upon Lori’s elation and total bliss.

The bridal party returned to the sanctuary for photographs. Matt cut up with anyone who would give him a response, his contagious laughter echoing loud in the large room. The photographer concentrated on the group shots before the wedding party became too restless. The subjects were pared down to just the immediate four, and then the bride and maid of honor. By this time, Sarah was ready to bolt.

“Okay!” called the photographer, lowering his camera and freeing her from further obligations. With a sigh, Sarah started down the steps.

“Wait. Can we get one of Matt and Sarah alone?” Jason said.

Sarah froze and glanced at Matt. Behind her, Lori let out a joyful cry.

“Yes, one of the best man and maid of honor,” said the bride.

Jason and Heather assisted Lori down the steps, and Sarah and Matt took her place on the altar. They managed to hold still for one shot before giggles got the better of Sarah. She peered at Matt, feeling foolish. His hand stroked her back and his smile calmed her nerves. Taking advantage of their moment of candor, the photographer captured the expressive exchange.

Sarah and Maria slipped to the dressing room while the photographer took pictures of Lori and Jason. They gathered their clothes and makeup, passing through the foyer on their way to Maria’s car. Glancing into the sanctuary, Sarah noticed Lori posing by herself and she hesitated. Her best friend was so beautiful in her dress. Feeling envious, Sarah turned to follow Maria and ran straight into Matt. He placed a hand on her shoulder and grinned.

“Want to ride with me?” he said.

Sarah smiled, delighted by his suggestion. “I’ll need a ride home, too,” she said, glancing at Maria.

“That was the idea,” Matt said, giving her a sly wink.

He extracted the bags from her hands. Maria gave him a brief smile as he strolled out the door and shot Sarah an astonished look.

“When did this happen?” said Maria in a hushed tone.

“About a month ago,” Sarah replied.

She returned to the sanctuary to wait for Lori. They were just completing the photo session. Sarah helped take the train off her dress while Lori stood waiting. Sarah began searching for her bouquet, afraid she’d lost it in the confusion. Jason’s cousin discovered it under a pew and tossed it at Sarah. She waited for Lori and they walked out of the church together.

A limo waited for Jason and Lori. The driver snapped into action when the bride emerged and stood at attention by the open door. Waiting on the steps to assist her, Jason extended his hand to his new bride.

“See you there,” said Sarah, bounding down the steps.

She noticed Matt waiting for her in the parking lot and joined him. He opened the passenger door and made sure Sarah had settled in the seat before closing it. He jumped behind the wheel and backed his Eclipse, narrowly avoiding a collision with Heather’s car. Sarah glanced in the side mirror, feeling victorious. Heather had seen the passenger in Matt’s car.

Matt looked at her, his eyes sparkling. “You look stunning,” he said with genuine praise.

“Really?” said Sarah, glancing at her attire. The blue sheath dress was simple but elegant, the silky fabric clinging tight to her figure.

“Yes, really,” he said as they rolled up to a red light. Matt reached for her hand. “Lori’s not the only one who looks like royalty. Besides, you look sexy in that dress.”

Sarah felt herself blush, embarrassed by his words. She had not been thrilled to don a dress today, even for her best friend’s wedding. Her last boyfriend had badgered Sarah about her unfeminine attire and mocked her when she did dress like a girl. She expected to hear similar words from Matt, but he just smiled, a hint of desire in his eyes.

“Well, you look damn sharp, too,” she told him, returning the compliment. “You clean up pretty good, Matt Gardner!”

They arrived at the reception hall and discovered the parking lot quite full. Matt circled the building and located parking in the side lot.

“Paul told us something interesting at the bachelor party,” Matt offered as the vehicle slid into an open parking spot.

“What?” said Sarah.

Matt turned off the ignition and set the emergency brake. Leaning on his steering wheel, he regarded her with a sly expression.

“He said he’d asked you out,” he said, a faint smile on his lips, “but you turned him down because you were seeing someone special.”

Sarah stared at him and felt herself blush a second time. She had not realized Paul would repeat her words and felt embarrassed. As if he could read her mind, Matt smiled and patted her knee. Leaning closer, he gave her a kiss before reaching for the door handle. Unable to move, Sarah waited until he opened her door before exiting the vehicle. Sarah allowed Matt to escort her into the building.

The reception hall was full and the crowd engrossed with their supper. Sarah and Matt moved to the serving line and filled their plates. Abandoning any pretenses of appearing dainty, she sat at the main table and attacked her dinner with relish. It had been over ten hours since she’d eaten and her stomach felt queasy. Sarah hoped some nourishment would settle her nerves.